RADFORD FALLS TO LONGWOOD 4-3 IN BSC OPENING ROUND

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – In the opening match of the 2017 Big South Women's Tennis Championships, No. 9 Radford saw its 3-1 lead quickly vanish, dropping a 4-3 match to No. 8 Longwood Thursday morning.

The Highlanders took care of business early, taking the first two doubles matches to collect the point. Karlie Pope and Claire Nguyen teamed up to defeat Marija Venta and Paloma Alatorre in the No. 2 flight. The all-conference duo of Natalie Sayer and Meili Martin sealed the point with a 6-4 win in the No. 1 fight for their 11^th win on the season.

Alatorre knotted the match for Longwood with a 6-2, 6-2 win in No. 4 singles over Nguyen, but the Highlanders took care of business in the next two matches.

Sayer handed the Highlanders the lead with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Jamie Breunig in No. 2 singles to give the junior her 12^th win on the season.

Big South first teamer Drousile Dzeubou pushed the Radford lead to 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 1 Venta. The win marked the freshman's 13^th on the season.

Needing only one victory to advance to the quarterfinals for the third straight season, Radford dropped the next three matches as Pope and Martin fell in a pair of three setters.

Singles Competition

1. Drousile Dzeubou (Radford) def. Marija Venta (Longwood) 6-3, 6-1
2. Natalie Sayer (Radford) def. Jamie Breunig (Longwood) 6-1, 6-2
3. Anna Pelak (Longwood) def. Meili Martin (Radford) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
4. Paloma Alatorre (Longwood) def. Claire Nguyen (Radford) 6-2, 6-2
5. Mason Thomas (Longwood) def. Karlie Pope (Radford) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
6. Fallon Burger (Longwood) def. Yuliia Popova (Radford) 7-5, 6-4

Order of finish: (4,2,1,6,5,3*)

Doubles Competition

1. Martin/Sayer (Radford) def. Breunig/Burger (Longwood) 6-4
2. Pope/Nguyen (Radford) def. Alatorre/Venta (Longwood) 6-3
3. Dzeubou/Popova (Radford) vs. Pelak/Thomas (Longwood) 5-4, unfinished

Order of finish: (2,1)

Match Notes
Radford (7-13)
Longwood (7-13)

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Players Mentioned

Meili Martin: 5' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore

Claire Nguyen: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Karlie Pope: 5' 5"; Junior

Natalie Sayer: 5' 8"; Junior

Drousile Dzeubou: 5' 10"; Freshman

Yuliia Popova: 5' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Meili Martin
: 5' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore

Claire Nguyen
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Karlie Pope
: 5' 5"; Junior

Natalie Sayer
: 5' 8"; Junior

Drousile Dzeubou
: 5' 10"; Freshman

Yuliia Popova
: 5' 5"; Freshman